Joseph j



l Oct. 30, 1923.

J. J. MICHALSKI THEFT DETECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES original Filed Aug. e. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 ocr. 3o, 19231. Re. 15,709

J. J. MICHALSKI TVHEFT DETECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Original Filed Aug. a, 2 sheets-Sheet 2 if. Y'

n Il

Reissued Oct. 30, 1923.

' JOsEPn J. MIOHALsizI, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

THEFT` DETECTOR FOR .AUTOIMOIBILIES.

Original NO.` 1,414,521, dated May 2, .1922, Serial No. 490,786, led Angl-ust 8, 1921. Application for reissue filed September 9, 1922. Serial No. 588,476.

To all whom may. concern.' 1

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. MIOHALSKI,

a ci-tizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, inthe county of Erie and State of New York, havefinvented new and useful lImprovements in Theft Detectors for Auto- `biles and similar vehicles vfrom theft. vThe principal. object of the invention is to provide animproved device 4of this character which is conspicuous and visible from either sidel ofthe vehicle lso that policemen and- "others may readily detect whether. or not presence-indicating member the vehicle is being driven'by the Owner or some unauthorized person.

Other. objects are to provide -a visible detector whichvis 'simple and compact in construction, .which 'can be' manufactured at a moderate cost, andrwhioh can` be readily installed 'andl conveniently `manipulated.-

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l ,is ay fragmentary side elevation of an automobile showing the improvement appliedv thereto with the presence-indicating member in position. lFigure 2 is an enlarged transverse vvertical section on line 2 2, Fig. l. Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figl2, but showing the presence-indicating member'rremoved andy the -absence-indicating member imposition. Figure 4 is a Sectional side elevation of theimprovement with the in position.

, Figure is a horizontal section on line 5 5,

Fig. 4. Figure 6 isa fragmentary sectional end lview of the improvement. Figure 7 is an 'enlarged fragmentaryl section on line` 47-7, F`ig.f3. Figure 8 isa perspeetlve view of one ofthe indicating '.members.` Figure 9 is a view similar, to Fig. 1,fbut showing the absence-indicating .member 1n position.

Figure 10 is` a sectional elevation of a. modiiied form of the improvement, showing the I presence-'indicating "member in position.

Figure 1lv is "a view similarto Fig. 10, but

showing the absence-indicating member in position. '.Figure '12 is a transverse vertical section fon v:line Y1 2-1 2,` Fig.10 Figures corresponding parts-throughout the severaln By way ofv example, the improvement is' shown as app-lied to the upper front side of views.

the body 2O of an automobile, althoughthe same may be located at any otheraccessible place where it is conspicuous and lclearly visible fromy either side of the vehicle.-

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-9, inclusive, the same comprisesv a rectangular boxflikecasing 2l preferably open at its Opposite sides and provided at -its lower end with attachf ing yflanges 22 for securing it to the auto-mobile body. The upper portion ofone-side of the casing is preferably provided with a swinging door frame 23 hinged at 24 for permitting access to the interior ofthe casine' when desired. This door may be provided with a suitable lock 25. Although this ,casing is preferably of rectangular form, it may be "of any other desired shape.

The opposite sides of the casing are pro-' vided with means.- for presenting a charac? teristic foreground or setting, and for thisl purpose theopenvsides of said' casing are.

provided with panes or panels 26, 27, preferably of glass or other transparent material.`

The door frame 23 may also be provided with' a similar pane or panel 28. in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,'the opposing upper and lower edges of the'panels 26, 28 and ,they

corresponding edges of the casing and'door frame meet in a horizontal joint l29. The

upper and lower portions of the panel 27 are preferably provided on one side thereof with a colored surface 30, such, for example,

as `red, which is` bright and conspicuous,` while the central or intermediate portion 31A 32, while its upper portion 33 corresponding As shown 'firentprtionstoffthe 26, 2??, aret-Wo' teangcr indicating members" a5, se, the` ornieofqwhichl is adapted to" indicate the fiv'iiesabsiie from his car and the latterv the presenceinL the car of rhs owner or some authorized person. For this purpose,

these indicating members Iof the proper dimensions tolcccpy' the 'area covered `by the transparent portion 31, 33 of the panels 26, 27;; T-heindicatinggmember is of the sli/me- `coloror characteristic nature as .the colored portions of the "panels 26,' 4 27 and' 28, While thefindiating member 36 is of a conftrsting color-or'of a dilferent characteristic naturer than fsaidV member` 35 and said panels'y al1/idY is preferably provided with a hi'gfhlyliniShed reflecting surface,y srueh as a mirror. Furthermore, these' indicatingV meinbersarefpreferably arranged to move in unison, softhat Whenl one is set in its oper-V ativeor indicating position the other is au'- toin'atically set inits inoperative or non-indicating'psition, andthe preferred means forlacoomplishing this result is constructed as follows:

Arranged lin the lower portion of the casingj`20 is a" 'rov'v of upright posts or rods 37\`vhic h are Securely fastened at their lower ends to the base ofsaid casing While their' upper ends `terminate a suitable distance below the top thereof, as shown in Figs. 2, and i." Guidedgfor vertical` movement on these posts arethe indicating members 35, 36 Iwhich may be. identical in construction, each ,n being 1 provided `with vertical openings 38|or engaging said posts. Coil springs 39 surround theflower endsof the latter and constantly tend to` eleyate the indicating members, ,the A,lovverk Vends"r ofthe springs bearing against the' Abase ,ofthe casing and the upper` ends thereof bearing against the loiver end of thelingdicating member 35. A spring catchAO carriedl one of the guide posts, preferablyltlie central one, and having afdivnvvardly facing.stop shoulder 41 is adapted. to',4 limit the. upward Ymovement,yofl

tl'i'eqiidic'ating lyiienibersto properly posit-.ion them; iny their operative positions. The indieatiiigv ine Oiisf C@ i111; 1S ca-1"1 is iirfbl'i desastre' from' are gaia@ pests' sin' @emia 36 what indicates the;

pletely removable from the casing 20 through the door 23, While the absence-indieating member 35 is preferably permanently arranged within the casing. To permit of the removal of said member 36,'"the'spring catch 40 islcap'able" of being` pressed inwardly Within the cross-sectional area of its supporting post. Upon the removal of the presence-indicating member 36 from the posts,` 37, Vthe absence member 35 is automatically elevated by the springs 39 to the position shoivnlin Figiy 3, wliil'e'upon'applyingsai'd iir-stlnamed member to the posts, the last-named member is forced downwardly and hiddenfrohi vien between the lower colored' portions of rthe pa-nels V26', 2T, as

indicating nieniliei 3G clearly i visible 'vfrii Iiiorder topevent ready duplicatiorlI of i' the indicating members unauthorized 90 persons,kr and to permit "of varying'rthemjlfor different automobiles," sdk that each of such".

member-s' itsoiily the correspondingghide posts 37,'r thexlatter` and thecorrespndiiig openings 38 in"v said'lnembe'rs are preferably of different crosssectioal'areas,asishovn in* Figs. 5, 7 and 8, thus .re-nderingit'impossir ble for such i persons to practice f deception by the use Vof similar indicating; or detecting members. 'llo furthe1". guard: against such. practice, thefsejveral guideI posts are provided near vtheiriup'per ends Withf'hori-V zontal connecting-Webs orpins 4:2 and `the indicating f members are 'providedgwitlr :corf

responding upright v Slots 143 ivhich Aengage saidpins, as shown in F igs; 3, 7 and .8.

.In the use of this device, when lthe owner or other authorized person occupies or drives the automobile, he sees to it that the 1'e`' movable indicating member 36 is properly fitted on the guide posts and that thedoor 2 3 islocked. In this position of the device. which is shown in Figs. 1*,-2l ande, -saijd in-r dicating. member stands out'rconspicuously against the contrastingired ground formed by k,the coloredportions of Ithe respective panels 26, 27 and 2,8, serving as an indica;

tion to patrolmen andothers that the Vehicle is occupied by an authorized person. vWhen thecar is leftstanding,` or nparked, tlieojvne1junlocks the door; of the casing and reriives the ineinber 36 therefrom, Whereup' 'the indicating member 35 summaries.. ly springsfiipivard towtlie position shvvii inFigs. 3 and 9 abl ei'xwhich lie ,again clashes the ,106k and 1k i l n, y I sit, saidnieniber being Y yisible thi-oi se :with ,th slm-eil 1 3e .32 enla 345 oiqthe la'tter,"av uniformly and ciiipletel position.

tion of the device, shouldrthe car be .traveling along the streets,it vwill arouse the patrolmen and others can therefore promptly takethenecessary steps to arrest the thief. vAlthough the 4indicating v,member 36 is preferably adapted to assume a position substantially in the center of a colored ground, it will be understood that thefsame may be arranged to assumeany other contrasting position, for example, either above or below said ground. t

In the-embodiment of the inveiiiton shown in Figs; 10-15. inclusive, the indicatin member" 35,a is iii the formof a box .an guided for vertical movement on upright posts 37a whichpass through corresponding openings 38a in the base of said .box and-are provided at their upper ends with heads which` serve `to limit the upward 'movement of said indicating member. Coil springs '39,' serve to project the latter to its detecting The removable indicating member 36,in this instance, is of corrugated or irregular form. and is guided atv its ends in guideways 46 secured to theend walls of the casing 20". Connecting the upper ends of these guideways is a plate 47 provided with a slot 48 shaped tocorrespond to said indicating .member 36, as :shown in Fig. `14:. A horizontally swinging finger piece 49fulcrumed on one side of this-plate serves yto hold said indicatingA member inits operative position, shown in Figs. 10 and 12.

Pins 50 projecting downwardly from vthe opposite lower ends of the removable-indicating member facilitate. its insertion in the guideways. u 1t will be understood from the foregoing that various other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention as covered by the appended claims. v i

Tn the claims the indicators or detectors 35, 35FL aredesignated as the absence-indi- I cators and the removable detectors 36, 36a 50 I as thel presence-indicators.

I claim as my invention: 1. A theft detector for automobiles and l the like, comprising an opaque casing having Va transparent portion, and manually controlled indicating means havingl contrasting portions eachmovable into register withsaid transparent portion, one of said contrasting portions being concealed by the opaque body of said casingwlien the other is displayed through said .transparent portion.

`2. A theft detector for automobiles and the like, comprising an opaquefcasinghaving a transparentportion, andr contrasting in icating members arranged in said casing to be alternately 1 displayed through' the vtransparent portion thereof, one yof said indicating members beingremovable fromsaid l casing.- suspicion that the vehicle is being stolen and j 3. A theft detector for automobiles and -the like, comprising a casing having a transparent portion, contrasting indicating members arranged in said casing to be alternately vdisplayed through the transparent poi-tion thereof, one of said members being removable from said casing and controlling the movement of the other member into and out of its indicating position.

4. A theft detector for automobiles and the like, comprising a casing having a transparent portion, and manually-controlled contrasting indicating members varranged end toend in said casingr and movable relatively to said ltransparent portion for alternately displaying them therethrough. l

5. A theft detector for automobiles and the like, comprising a casing having a transparent portion, contrasting indicating members adapted to be separately displayed through l said transparent portion, both of said members being individually movable into andy out of register with said transparent portion, a spring co-operating with one of said members to move itfinto indicating position, the other indicating ymember controlling the ymovement of said `spring-actuated member in the opposite direction, said vcont-rolling member being removable from thecasing. l

i 6. A theft detector for automobiles `and the like, comprising a characteristic ground, and a plurality of contrasting indicating 'members disposed one above the other and movable in a plane substantially parallel with said ground into and out of operative position relatively thereto, said members indicating the owners absence from .the anto-` Y and manually-controlled contrasting indicating members facing in the samey direction and movable in unison, the one into and the other out of operative position relatively to said ground f 8. A theft detector for automobiles and the like, comprising a characteristic ground, and indicating means movable into and out of operative position relatively toy said ground, a portion of saidv indicating means being of the same characteristic nature as said ground and indicating tlievowners absence from vthe automobile, and the other portion of Isaid indicating means being of a different characteristic nature from said ground, and indicating the owners presence in the automobile.

9. A theftdetector for automobiles and :the like,eomprisingamharaeteristie ground, and indicating members 11'movable`1 fin' unison Sintoy and' out f off operative' position'relatively to -said ground, one of said members'being of the Ysame Vcharacteristic*nature as Said ground *and findicating the'own'ers ld"absence from the automobile, 'ardftlieeother anember being of fa different 'characteristic nature ltr-om 1 Said f ground fand indicating lthe owners presence `in fthe# automobile.

Y '10. -A tl1eft-1deteetor for automobiles Eand vthe 1ike,co1nprising aeas'ing having fa portion of oneoflits Walls'provided With'a char-V acteristic gr'ound, While @another portion thereof is transparent, 'l and f indicating means 'arranged iin fsaid easing andfmovable -into "ian'd 'ont 'of Iregiste'r "'Witli "the transparent -portion `of said easing, a portion of fsaid indieatingivmeans beingo fthe fsa-ine' "characteristic nature -as said yground Iand"indicating the owners absencelfroinfthefautomobile, lan'd "the other -portion l of Said 'indicating -means'being fiof a JAdifferent characteristic .fnature l'fro'm `said v`ground fand indicating `the ow'ners .presence in 'the automobile.

v11. A theftdetector for automobi-l'esarnd -the"like,` comprising fa Veasingf'havingfa poritio'n of:'its`sideWallsrprovided witli'a characteristic ground While another ,portion thereof is transparent,"and indicating imem'- bers arranged Ain "said 'casing fand movable into "and "out Aof 'register with the transparent portion of Asaid ca`sing, one 'of said members being permanently arranged-Within said casing andfof'thesame identity as said .ground and indicating 'theowners'ab'senee 4from the automobile, and 'the -other smember being removably arranged in said casing and fof `"a different characteristic na'tufre vfrom Said permanent member.

12. A theft ldetector for automobiles fand the like, rcomprising a voasi-ng hav-ing a colored-portion and atransparent portion, a presence-indicator and an 'absence-indicator arranged finsai-d casingvfand'each movable into and outfof'register With the transparenty portion'of said casing-said 'presenceindicator beingremova-ble fromY said casing and y"co'ntrollii'rg the movement of said absence-indicator, the 'latter being-of the same color as the colored portion ofvsaid 'Casin-g and thepresence-indioator being of a' contrasting Color. v

123. A 4theft 'detector `lfor `automobiles and the like, 'comprising -a A-casing having a colored portion and fa'itransparent portion, a presence-indicator fand fan absence-indicator arranged in Asaid easing l'and'feaeh1mov- `afbleinto and fout of' register'avitli' the transparent-'portion of said"casing,"said-'presencei'nd'ieator' being removable "from said fcas'ing and controlli-ng the, rnovernent of y'said absence-indicator, and moans ffor holding said 'indit'ators in'tl-'ieir uoperativef-po'sitions, -said va''esente*indicator 'being of tli'e -saine color f: as tlieeolredr portion 'of said 'easing opening, a door "for closing Esaid opening, said 'casing liavlng vla 'colored'portion 'and L'a transparent portion, an absence-'indicator of the same lcolor'ffas 'said tcolored 'portion 'ar- "Tan'ged-finsaid casing and movable into and out off'register vr-With Said 'transparent portion, apresence-indioator of a color contrastan'g with' said L'colored portion arranged in 'Saideasingandmovable into vand 4out of gregister Withfsa'id'transparent portion, said absence-indicator'being 'permanently located yin fsaicl` feasfing and;V Ysaid presente-indicator jbeingielnovable therefrom, #and means `for lockingsadfdoon l 1 15. Ail-theftdeteet'o'r or `automobilesand 4"the *1i e, "comprising `casing 'having `a 'eoloretl "portion andfa transparent portion, -a"preseneiindioator' and an absence-indica- 'tor lIiiovable"into' andf'ot of register with the transparent portion of fsa'id casing, said absence-'indicator being ofthe y'same color 'as "the l"colored 'Jportion"offsa-id casing and said Spresencie-'indioator Vbeinl'g zof a contrasting color, fineans*forret'aining said indieators in their f operative positions, and means v'for 'automatically changing' thepositi'ons" ofY said yfindimtors `'when released Ifrom said retainin'gmeans. l Y

. "16. 'A theft fdetector'fo'rautomobiles and the dike, comprising afcasing "having a colored lportion and @a transparent portion, *a'-presenceeindicator 'and an absence-indicator arranged in said casing and movable in 'unison Vintro andbut of 'register vv'ith Ithe `transparent portion of 'said casing, one f :said indicators `'being activewhile' the other 1s inactive, ineans for holding said indicators in their active positions, and means tending'tof move'said Vind-i'ators Ainto engagemovable relatively to said ground, and characteristic ground, an indicating member means for guiding said member in said casmovable relatively to said ground, and guide ing, said guiding means being of irregular rods of different cross sectional areas ar- 10 formation and said indicating member beranged invsaid casing, said indicating mem- 5 ing shaped to fit the same. bers being provided with corresponding 19. A theft detector for automobiles and openings enga in said rods.

the like, comprising a casing having a J S PH J. MICHALSKI. 

